Tag: Cobb County

At a recent Cobb Chamber event, I shared my perspectives as a local business leader on how Cobb County is attracting and cultivating the next generation of leaders. The county has a legacy of leadership, and it’s one we hope to continue through the recent influx of millennials and the overall boom in economic activity.

From 2010 to 2015, the millennial population in the Cumberland area alone has increased by about 32 percent, making this the fastest growing millennial population in metro Atlanta. Cobb County has also been ranked one of the top millennial suburbs based on the number of millennial residents, job opportunities, and access to housing, restaurants and other nearby entertainment venues.

Drawing from these data points and my personal experience, here’s why Cobb County is a great place for millennials to work, live and play.

Work: Business is booming, and opportunities are endless for the millennial workforce. According to the Cobb Chamber’s 2016 Economic Development Guide, the county created and retained nearly 5,225 jobs with an estimated $313 million in new investments in 2015. Comcast, The Home Depot, RaceTrac, The Weather Channel and now the Atlanta Braves all call Cobb home, and so does Gas South. In 2006, we selected Cobb’s Cumberland area for our headquarters, and we continue to grow where we’re planted. In 2014, we extended our lease through 2025 and doubled our office space to accommodate our growth as we insourced our customer care team. Within the walls of our organization, 40 percent of our workforce falls in the millennial cohort.

Live: With a cost of living below the national average, there’s no shortage of affordable housing options in Cobb. With its recreational amenities, rich arts community, top-notch educational institutions and transportation options, the Cobb County lifestyle is luring millennials, including many of our team members. Since 2013, 6,800 new residential units are either under construction or awaiting zoning approval. Many of these new projects involve mixed-use developments, such as The Battery Atlanta and Jamestown’s Riverview Landing, which make it easier than ever for millennial residents to have it all in a close proximity to where they live and work.

Play: For millennials that work hard and play hard, Cobb boasts more than 100 parks, the Cobb Energy Centre and plenty of local spots to meet up with friends. Not to mention, SunTrust Park and The Battery Atlanta, which are arguably the most notable projects in Cobb’s history. The new developments are already attracting quality investment. Improvements are underway to address traffic concerns and increase walkability, in addition to the benefits of increasing the tax base and creating new jobs. From The Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre and King’s Bowling alley, to chef-driven restaurant concepts by Ford Fry and Linton Hopkins, it’s not news breaking to say that this will be a go-to destination.

Gas South is fortunate to have made Cobb County our home for our first 10 years business, and we are even more bullish as we enter our second decade as a corporate citizen.

On Thursday, July 30th, Gas South, GAIN® Clean Fuel and Core-Mark opened Cobb County’s first compressed natural gas (CNG) station, located in Smyrna, Georgia. This new addition to the Smyrna community, will fuel a fleet of alternative energy trucks.

CNG is a readily available alternative fuel made by compressing natural gas to less than 1% of its volume at standard atmospheric pressure. Natural gas stations provide fuel for 135,000 vehicles in the U.S., with 20 CNG fuel stations in Georgia alone. Natural gas generates up to 90 percent fewer emissions and costs about 50 percent less than traditional gasoline and diesel.

Gas South’s team has been working hard for the last six years to see CNG become a reality throughout Georgia and in particular, the metro Atlanta area. By opening another CNG fuel station, GAIN Clean Fuel, with support from Gas South, is providing carriers with better access to a domestic energy supply that is both cleaner and cheaper than traditional fuels.

Gas South helps to connect the dots between customers interested in using CNG and station owners, so it’s very important that we do everything we can to make these facilities successful. Gas South is the largest volume supplier of natural gas for CNG stations in Georgia and we are proud to have a number of facilities across the metro Atlanta area. Another plus to seeing more CNG stations open is that natural gas is abundant, domestic, inexpensive and clean – all huge benefits for our society and our economy.

“Projects like these show how great partnerships can succeed when working toward a common outcome that benefits so many,” said Clean Cities Georgia Board Chair William Cook. “In addition to the many benefits of CNG, fewer emissions will be produced which is good for the environment and for all of us. Plus, utilizing CNG helps create energy independence for America.”

Core-Mark’s commitment to a CNG program began with an initial conversion of its fleet. Today, there are 179 Core-Mark CNG tractors on the road with more planned in the future.

The other three stations in operation through this partnership are located in Aurora, Colorado; Sanford, North Carolina and Forrest City, Arkansas. A fifth station is under construction in Tampa, Florida and is scheduled to be in operation later this summer.